We are celebrating the Adaptable Arabian as our September Breed of the Month on YourDressage!
Did you know that dressage riders who partner with a member of this ancient breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the Arabian Horse Association is a participating organization?
In this quick read, a rider from Region 6 shares how her Arabian mare has changed her life and many others, taking them to higher levels of competition to chase their goals.
By Christine Headley
Luna is a sixteen-year-old Arabian/Frieisan cross. She has been my partner for a little less than a year and a half, and what we have been able to accomplish is nothing short of amazing! When I heard that Luna needed to come back to Washington and was looking for a rider, I jumped at the chance to put my name in the hat. I said, “I would give my right arm for a horse like her!”
I had set a goal to ride FEI and work towards my USDF Silver and Gold Medals years ago, but I did not have a big savings or sponsor to secure a horse of this caliber, so I got to work by leasing horses and riding with every top clinician who came to my area. When the opportunity came to fly to Wellington and meet Luna, it was love at first sight! Truth be told, I had already fallen in love with her before I even met her by watching her presence online. When I rode her for the first time, her co-owner, Lindsey O’Keefe, said, “It was like Cinderella’s slipper; the shoe just fit!”
My greatest accomplishments have been achieving my USDF Silver Medal last year, and my USDF Gold Medal this year, taking her out at Intermediate II this year, and eventually having a stab at the Grand Prix. We went to the World Equestrian Center in Ohio, where we were Arabian Sport Horse Champions in two classes, placed in the top ten of our other three classes, and earned the second score needed for my Gold Medal. It was extra special because it was only our second time riding Grand Prix!
Having this experience with this very special mare has changed my life; it has been an amazing experience and an incredible honor! It has leveled up my riding along with my teaching, and also built many opportunities to stretch outside my comfort zone and level up my mental game. It has been a dream come true, and I know that I will always look back on this journey as such an incredible gift! I have learned so much and had to grow and stretch in ways that I did not know were possible.
Luna is very food-motivated and loves fruit. In fact, every show, I buy her a box of blueberries, a bag of carrots, and a bundle of bananas! It’s a ritual for us. She knows how to “fist bump” for treats, which is a really cute trick that she learned from her previous rider! She also has a beautiful brown marking on her face that makes her stand out; everyone knows her and recognizes her because it is so unique. She also loves walking around the showgrounds, where she believes everyone knows who she is!
Luna’s life story is very special, and one that I would like to write about in more depth someday. She has made dreams come true, not only for me, but for the other riders of her past. I think it says a lot when a special horse is born into a special family, and falls into the hands of amazing people who cherish her. She is a real-life unicorn, not only in who she is, but in the people who have helped shape her into the horse she is today.
My advice would be to never stop believing in your dreams or give up on chasing your goals! It has been an incredibly moving experience to have not only been given this opportunity but also all of the incredible people who have believed in me and supported my achievements! There are too many people to list, but a very special shoutout to my coach, mentor, and friend, Lindsey O’Keefe, who was the mastermind behind this partnership, and nurtured our development every step of the way. It may be an individual sport, but it’s not possible without the people involved behind the scenes.
